Laurie Jo McDonnell, LMFT

Laurie Jo McDonnell is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) in Florida with 25 years of experience. She focuses on helping people facing stress, anxiety, relationship problems, family conflicts, grief and depression. Her approach treats the person as a whole and honors each client as the expert on their own life.

Laurie Jo listens first and follows the pace a client sets. She helps people name what is most stressful or painful. Together they identify small, practical steps that can reduce worry and improve daily routines. She encourages clients to draw on their existing strengths while trying new ways of coping.

Her work draws from several therapy methods including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, cognitive behavioral ideas, and client-centered principles. She uses techniques from emotionally focused work and the Gottman Method when relationship patterns are part of the concern. These tools are used to help clients change unhelpful thoughts, strengthen important relationships, and clarify personal values.

Clients commonly bring concerns such as abandonment, attachment wounds, blended family tensions, caregiver stress, chronic illness, cancer-related stress, codependency, communication problems, and life transitions like divorce or aging. Laurie Jo also supports people dealing with emptiness or family of origin issues.

She aims for an open, respectful collaboration that helps people make doable changes. Signing up for therapy is a first step, and she welcomes those ready to begin the work of feeling more grounded and connected.

Therapeutic approaches and online care that fit your life

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters to them and take small actions toward those values, even when uncomfortable thoughts or feelings are present. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking patterns and testing new behaviors to reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) looks at emotional patterns in relationships and helps people express needs and respond differently to strengthen bonds.

Finding the right approach is part of therapy. Laurie Jo collaborates with each person to choose methods that match their goals, preferences, and life situation. She listens to what matters most and adjusts techniques as the work unfolds so progress feels relevant and achievable.

Practical benefits of online therapy include fitting sessions into a busy schedule, saving travel time, and making it easier to keep regular appointments. Because session formats were not specified in the biography, confirm current online and in-person options before booking. The focus is on making therapy workable within daily life so people can build skills and make steady changes.